Assessment of potential differences in general breastfeeding knowledge and comfort with breastfeeding in public among college students
2019
Carrera A., Hilary G. | Hernández, Adriana | Di lorio, Adriana | McKinley, Erin
Knowledge about, and being comfortable with looking people breastfeed in public is essential to support efforts to improve breastfeeding rates in the United States and other developing countries. Culturally, people from countries with higher breastfeeding rates than the US may have higher levels of knowledge about the breastfeeding and comfort than those born in the US. The purpose of this study was to evaluate differences in breastfeeding knowledge and comfort looking at when in public, between domestic (91.24%) and international (8.76%) college students, in Louisiana State University. A cross-sectional survey study was developed among 761 college students; 18 years old and above, were web-based surveyed with a 78 questions, questionnaire. Data was analyzed with SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences). No significant differences were found in breastfeeding knowledge (P = 0.054) and comfort (P = 0.052) between international students and US citizens students. US students had a slightly higher mean knowledge score (184.96 ± 26.74 vs. 178.18 ± 25.39). Race, age, gender, marital status, breastfeeding experience and having been breastfed as child, all showed significant differences (P < 0.001). International students in the US are not contributing with either a higher level of knowledge or comfort, none that could be transmitted. Parenting or breastfeeding education programs focused in college students should provide knowledge and comfort baseline levels at which to begin efforts.
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